Connection

Check with your local Water Authority as to any specific requirements. A licenced plumber will need to make a connection to the mains and install a brass ball valve and backflow prevention valve. Check locations of Gas, Electricity, Water and Telstra before digging.

Tools

Make sure you have the necessary tools - Tape measure, Trenching shovel/spade, hacksaw, hose, wrench, rake, multigrips and scale rule.

Marking out & trenching

Ensure that all sprinklers are marked out as per the plan. Assemble all screwed fittings using thread tape on fittings before valves. Thread tape is not necessary downstream of valves. Trenches should be 100mm wide and 250mm deep. If any pipes pass through any garden areas, cover them with bricks or hardwood before backfilling so they will not be damaged by garden forks etc. If the ground is hard, wet it down with an inverted soaker hose.

PVC Pipe Installation

For PVC pipe cut the pipe with a hacksaw or PVC pipe cutter. Ensure the ends are square. Use a file to clean off any burrs. The inside of the socket and the outside of the pipe should be cleaned and primed with Priming Fluid. Ensure the pipe and fittings are dry. PVC cement will not work on wet pipe. Brush cement on the outside of the pipe and the inside of the socket. Slip the pipe into the fitting and give it a quarter turn. Hold for 20 secs and wipe away any excess cement. Do not pressurise for 24 hours.

Low Density Pipe Installation

If using Low Density poly pipe, cut the end square. Place a ratchet clip over the pipe. Push the poly pipe onto the fitting and push the ratchet clip over the fitting. Tighten the clip with multigrips.

General

Starting from the water source, install the pipe and solenoid valves taking care to keep the pipework free from dirt, stones and other debris. Flush the pipework before installing the solenoid valves. Ensure that solenoid valves are pointing in the right direction. They have arrows indicating the direction of flow.

A hose with a straight piece of pipe may be used to tunnel under paths and driveway. Turn on the hose to full pressure and bore through in a back and forwards motion.

Once the solenoid valves have been installed, connect the irrigation wire using waterproof joiners. Use one color for a common which connects to one wire of each valve, and a separate color for each of the remaining wires. Lay the cable loosely in the trench, preferably under the pipe.

Where pop-up sprinklers are to be installed along driveways and paths, leave sufficient room that they will not be damaged by lawn edgers.

Install valve boxes over each solenoid valve to make locating and servicing much easier. The cover of the valve boxes should be level with the ground.

Sprinklers should be installed with the top at ground level. Lower could result in the spray catching in long grass or higher could result in damage from lawn mowers.

Before turning the system on, leave the top out of the last sprinkler on each line. Flush each line thoroughly so no dirt or debris affects the performance of any sprinklers.

Operation

From the experience of the watering needs of your lawns and gardens, set the watering times for each zone as well as the days you wish to water. Times will be greater in the middle of summer, while the controller may need to be switched off for periods in winter. When the controller is turned off, do so at the controller, not the power point. Back-up batteries generally last for 2 years, but only about two weeks if the power supply is turned off.

Only one zone should operate at a time. Follow the manufacturers instructions for the options you can use for different controllers.